


Alone Time

by nionicle



Category: Fandoms:Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Clay | Dream Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Dream isn't the only villain, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, F/M, Freeform, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I might kill some people off, M/M, Manipulation, Maybe Some Ghost AU, Minecraft Hybrids, Other, Parent Sam | Awesamdude, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Probably won't end well, Ranboo just wants the voice gone, Sam needs a Break, Techno needs some sleep, Tommy needs a hug, Villain!Dream, l'manburg, you can't trust anyone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:01:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28906776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nionicle/pseuds/nionicle
Summary: Dream is slowly losing it in the prison while pushing his consciousness into Ranboo in hopes that he’ll be able to escape. This causes distress to not only Ranboo but Dream mental state as well. After involving Techno, in hopes that he’ll be able to convince Ranboo to go to the prison so that he can attempt to force Ranboo consciousness out of his body and into Dream’s, leaving Ranboo’s body open for him to take. Whether this will work or not, Dream doesn’t know but he is willing to give it a shot.Aka...Dream is trapped in the prison while lowkey controlling Ranboo's actions and Techno needs to help cause he owes him a favor**Trigger warning for death, mild gore and lowkey suicide**
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	1. Will everything be okay?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm totally not trying to say that Dream's actions within the SMP are forgiven or anything I just generally find his character to be super interesting so I decided to write something about it :) Hope you guys enjoy!!  
> If people like this, I've got plans for some more chapters so I could totally make a story out of it!!

The ground was noticeably cold underneath Dream, though it wasn’t as if he’d never spent a night outside in the rain or snow when he first started this world. There had been many occasions in fact, where he had felt like he might succumb to the freezing temperatures after shivering in a dirt hut for what felt like hours on end. This time though, there was a noticeable difference. He used to feel it a lot more like something was warming him from the inside but he slowly felt it start to diminish as time had trickled on. Almost as if this thing inside of him had been stolen, not lost but taken, one piece at a time just to prolong his suffering. He realized what this thing was now. Sitting in a cold cell by himself, in a prison, he had built for someone else. He had been given time to think. To think about how he had ended up in this position. Although he knew what he’d done was wrong, he honestly had known all along but he wanted everyone to know the pain that he had gone through.  
He knew this internal heat, as he called it, had been caused by those around him when it was just him, George, and Sapnap, to Callahan, Sam, Alyssa, and Bad. He had never really been alone, never truly at least. But one by one it seemed like everyone had turned their back on him. He knew it was his fault, he knew deep down that what he’d done had intentionally driven everyone away but he just couldn’t stop himself. He tried reasoning with himself, he wanted to change, he wanted someone to show him just a little human compassion as if he wasn’t some monster that was so undeserving of even the most basic of human rights. But why would he ever deserve something like that in the first place, he had been the cause of so much misery on the server, so much tragedy. All he had ever wanted was a place with no sides, no wars, and no death. When had he lost sight of this? What had been the tipping point for him? 

Dream looked towards a small opening in his cell where the light was being let through. He knew that from where he was within the prison that no natural light could make it to his cell, but that didn’t stop him from seeing shadows dance along his walls. Sometimes the shadows were docile, they seemed to move peacefully across his obsidian walls, other times, they seemed to claw at him. They’d move violently from place to place seemingly grabbing at his clothes and face while making horrifying images parade across the wall. Though they were only shadows, they felt so real to Dream, as he had been alone for what had felt an eternity. He was certain that they were manifestations of sorts, most definitely because of his inner guilt and regrets but he also believed that someone might have planted them there purposefully, just to torment him.  
When they did move together to form images they seemed to have pulled them right from Dream’s nightmares. They showed him scenes of battle and death but nothing like anything that had been seen on the server before. He saw his friends beaten and bruised beyond recognition, though he always knew who they were. They would be stabbed through with swords or splashed by potions until they were inches from death and then made to die in front of him, their eyes locking one last time. He’d cry when he saw these scenes because he knew that he was powerless to stop them, he knew that if this was happening outside his prison's walls, he wouldn’t know until it was far too late. He’d scream in pain because he felt that he might never get the chance to see his friends healthy and alive, he’d never get the chance to see George's smile or hear one of Sapnap’s jokes before everything finally disappears. Sometimes the images were too much for him to bear and he’d curl himself into a ball with his head pushed against his legs, shutting his eyes until it physically hurt to have them closed. Though, no matter how tightly he closed his eyes, he could still see the dim light through his eyelids as the images somehow managed to dance within his head as well. 

It was during times like these when he began to consider his fate. He had known from the start that he was doomed to fail, he knew that Tommy and Tubbo, or anyone else for that matter, would stop him. He’d caused Tommy unimaginable pain. He’d told Tommy that his friends had abandoned him and that he was alone in the world, that no one cared about him or what he did. He’d stolen all of Tommy's belongings and had made him entirely dependent on Dream’s own whims. He knew that this was irredeemable but he wanted to make someone feel the same pain that he did. Dream knew what it felt like to be abandoned by those closest to you and when Tubbo had been convinced to exile Tommy, he thought that someone would finally know what Dream was forced to live with. He thought that they might be able to find some common ground and that Tommy might be swayed to join Dream. But Tommy had never wholly lost faith in Tubbo no matter what Dream had done, even when he knew that Tommy had sided with Techno, Tubbo was an unparalleled part of Tommy’s heart. Dream saw himself in Tommy sometimes, in how George will now and forever hold a spot in Dream's heart, whether George wanted to or not. But this was also why Dream loathed Tommy so much.  
No matter what Tommy did, he was always welcomed back. Tubbo was always willing to give Tommy another chance and Tommy was always willing to forgive Tubbo. The friendship that they held was something that Dream believed he used to have with George. Maybe he should have let George keep his kingship, maybe that would have stopped some of the events from coming to pass, but he’d honestly done it in hopes that it would keep George safe. When George’s house had been burned down, Dream had been willing to tear the SMP apart to make sure that whoever had done it found justice and punishment in their actions. But somehow he always ended up as the villain, no matter the situation, no one ever seemed to see anything besides his villainy.

No one ever wanted to look at Dream and find any redeeming qualities, as if he’d have any at this point. But Dream knew that something must have drawn people to him in the beginning, before everything had gone against him and his wishes. He knew he was loyal beyond his own comprehension and even after being betrayed by his friends, he’d still protect them with his dying breath. He had chosen the area of his base and his final battle so that the people that used to care for him wouldn’t get hurt. So that they would hopefully never see just how far he had fallen from grace. How willing he had become and the lengths that he’d go to just to show that he still held some sort of power over the people of the SMP. Not once did he think that he’d things would have ended up like this. 

Although he was far past the point of no return, that didn’t mean he wasn’t sorry for what had happened, though he had hoped that it wouldn’t have taken until he was physically thrown in prison for his human emotions to finally fill him with remorse. The first night he cried. He wasn't sure whether it was because of his defeat or because he saw that everyone had fully turned against him. 

“How... d-did this happen?”

He whispered to himself. 

“W-why did... this happen?”

Tears threatened to flow down his cheeks again as he continued to think, clutching the right side of his face, covering his eye in an attempt to forcibly stop tears from flowing. His left arm still wrapped around his torso to keep himself warm. He noticed how cold it was in his cell now, he had noticed it before of course, but this was another feeling entirely. 

“Ma-maybe I do... deserve this.”

“MAYBE THIS WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE!”

He screamed at the walls, he hoped that the sound would echo at least so that it was almost as if he was hearing another voice besides his own but the walls seemed to absorb the sound. He rarely heard anything these days, nothing besides the lava outside his walls and his own shallow breathing. He hoped that Sam would visit and talk to him, being the warden of the prison, but all he saw of the warden was when he brought his meals, barely even making eye contact with him. Sam had once been a friend, they had shared good memories every now again. Dream had honestly been quite fond of Sam but seeing how disgusted Sam looked every time he saw Dream, only made Dream sink even deeper into his own head. 

“WILL ANYONE EVER VISIT? DOES ANYONE REALLY CARE?”

He yelled at the walls again, this time he wasn’t expecting an answer. He stood up, staring at the dark bricks in front of him. He balled his hands and began hitting the stone as if to make it feel the same pain he felt internally. All of the emotions that he’d so carefully hidden over the last few months were painfully close to tipping over the edge. The tears that he had stopped from flowing before now began to flow freely. He didn’t even care anymore. He knew that no one cared either. 

Was anyone going to come to visit him?

Tommy said that he would and honestly Dream hung to those words as if they were the only thing keeping him alive. He didn’t realize until the thought left his head just how desperate and pitiful he had become, how much he and Tommy had switched places. All he could do inside of his cell was watch time pass on a clock, which only helped to solidify his own internal dread. He was so scared of something happening on the outside while he was sitting in his cell, powerless to do anything. Maybe something had already happened and he was only now just realizing through his connection to the SMP, maybe his unconscious was trying to tell him something. Maybe it hadn’t appeared yet but it was lurking around the borders and no one would know until it was too late.  
These sorts of thoughts were what sent him spiraling. Being alone with one to consolidate or dismiss his fears, only led him to imagine the worst. He had no idea what situations might arise. He needed to get out of here. He needed to. The SMP was doomed without Dreams' help.

Why couldn’t anyone realize this?

Why was everyone so blind to the truth? It’s not like he hadn’t tried to tell them, to show them that they needed his help. He knew that his friends walked into battles that they couldn’t win, of course, this was unlikely now because there didn’t seem to be many sides but that never seemed to stop anyone. He had seen so many different situations from within his mind and on the walls of ways they could have already lost without his help. They needed him so much more than he had originally thought. 

Maybe they would realize this now. Maybe now that he was locked away, unable to help them win their trivial fights, they would finally realize.

Soon thoughts like this seemed to overwhelm him. He knew that he hadn’t been inside his cell for very long, but even as his clock turned, the time around him seemed too slow. He was so desperate to hold onto his own power that he drove himself to such lengths just to give himself the impression that he still held something. Some small little inkling of capability, even if he knew in his heart that this wasn’t true. He needed something to keep him sane. He needed something that made him feel like he wasn’t completely alone, whether he knew it to be true or not. One day everyone else might realize it too.  
Dream felt the rush of tears that had originally flowed down his face begin to trickle in a slow yet steady fashion. They seemed to match his mood in a sense, from anger to sadness. He sank against the walls of his cell. Reaching up above his head as he gripped the rough stone that encased him. He sobbed into the confines of the prison for what felt like a short eternity. He tried to remember the good things that happened. Before the wars, the disks and the pets, back to when it was just him and his friends, building houses and laughing together. This felt like such a long time ago for Dream that he had a hard time picturing it. It did almost supply him some comfort though, if he tried hard enough he could imagine how the wind felt on his skin, how the delicate scent of flower flowed along with the breeze, and how it had felt to hold a wooden ax in his hands. He could almost see the smiles on his friend's faces before his mind was ripped away from his memories of friendship and back towards his unfortunate reality. He tried to savor it for as long as possible but it didn’t take much to replace those images with the more recent faces of fear, hatred, and disgust that he saw so recently, it hurt. 

He was a monster and he knew it now, though he was certain that he hadn’t always been so worthless and unneeding. He sank deeper and deeper into the corner of his cell hoping that he would be able to push through the walls and into the lava he knew surrounded him. Maybe if he tried hard enough he could force his final life out on his own accord. He wouldn’t need Tommy or Techno to kill him in some grandiose way, he could just off himself, dirty and pitiful in his own prison, a worthy death when you consider it. Who would anyone know? Would anyone truly care? Maybe he could make George cry one last time, not because of betrayal but because he was utterly and entirely torn at the loss of a friend.  
The only real reason that he was left alive was because of what he could offer to others. They wanted him solely for the fact that he knew how to bring the dead back to life. He’d already given this secret away so why did they keep him alive, couldn’t they have just ended his suffering and let him leave. He was very certain that no one wanted him alive, they might want him to suffer, of course, that was a given. But the endless darkness of his prison was already torture enough, the ghastly images in his head gave him all the antagonizing treatment he needed. He may have been terrified of something happening to his friends in his absence but that was not able to override the intrusive thoughts that seem to overflow within his brain and seemingly fed on his powerless state. 

They didn’t want him, they didn’t need him anymore, why did they have to keep him alive. Could they please just let him move on? Phil gave Wilbur his final wish after he decided to destroy the nation he had sacrificed so much to protect.  
Dream had once tried to protect his nation as well, he had tried so hard to protect the world that he had created. No one seemed to have noticed though after all of his most prized possessions were ripped from his hands one after another. Spirit was the last thing that he could hold onto, the last of his belongings that he knew couldn’t leave him. He had held Spirit so close to his heart that when he had finally given him to Tommy, it felt he had given a little part of his own spirit away as well. 

With spirit gone did he have anything left that could comfort him without asking for anything in return? Could he ever count on anyone but himself again when it managed to escape or was he doomed to rot in his cell for the rest of his pathetic remaining life.


	2. ...Tommy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy came to visit Dream

He was culled up in the corner when he felt the floor move underneath him, at least he’s quite sure that it moved. It was begging to get harder and harder to count how many days had passed. He knew that the clock on the wall told the time but as he continually checked, it never seemed to show him anything but a shiny exterior and a dark centerpiece as if the SMP had been cast into eternal darkness. He couldn't be confident whether what he was seeing was real or not anymore, with the shadows on the wall and his inability to sleep, he began to see things that shouldn’t be there. Yesterday, at least he thinks it was yesterday, he thought he saw Sapnap out of the corner of his eyes, but as he slowly pulled himself out of his semi-conscious state he realized it was nothing more than the unmoving shadow of himself curled on the floor.   
Sam had been gracious enough to drop off books, making him believe that they wanted him to write down as much as knew about their world but so far all he could manage in the dim light of the room was a few meager sentences. Although he had never been a writer, he would pride himself on the amazing stories he used to craft for his friends and family. Seeing now how he was unable to get even a few sentences written in a readable manner made him sick to his stomach. His original thoughts had been to use them as a diary of some sort, so that he could make sure that someone could read and understand what Dream was going through, looking at the pages though, he was begging to think that the prison was getting to him. Though within the first few days within the prison he did manage to write one passage;

Dear Diary,

I never thought I’d see the day where I felt the need to write down my inner workings, but it seems like isolation is getting to me.  
I can’t sleep, I hardly eat, I know I saw things before, but now it seems like they’ve morphed into tangible people that I can and interact with instead of a gruesome depiction of death and destruction. I’m worried for myself, though I know that this is the fate I deserve for putting so many people through such torment.   
BUT did anyone ever think of what drove me to this point or do they believe that I woke up like this one day? I can never be sure, though I hope someone will read this and feel at least a drop of pity.   
-Dream

That was how Dream’s first Diary entry had turned out. Legible and honest though you could still see a hint of his manipulative nature poking through the text but recently as he writes, his letters become less and less readable and his stories no longer depict real events, only the nightmarish ones that visit him in his slumber.

Dream’s thoughts return to the present and quietly slumps against a wall as he takes out another book. He opens it to an unwritten and grabs the adjacent quill. He can hardly keep his eyes open as he writes but he knows that if he sleeps he’ll only be visited by nightmares horror-filled vision that will only shock him back into consciousness, so he writes.

Dear Diary,   
I can’t keep my eyes open…   
But if I close them, I know what will happen anymor-...

The pen quietly slips from Dream’s hands as he writes the last line, his eyes closing softly but as soon as it seemed like he was drifting off to sleep, his eyes shot open violently. His breathing quicken noticeably and in an attempt to console himself he brought his arms towards his sides as if to mimic a hug. Although it couldn’t have been nearly as confronting as a real one, it seemed to calm him down enough to bring his breathing back to a normal pace. Dream carefully felt around his face. He didn’t have a mirror so he couldn’t tell how much he had been suffering within the prison walls, but within the short while that he had remained inside, deep circles had begun to form beneath his eyes, creating an almost comedic image of the once power-hungry tyrant. Beside the circles, his cheeks had begun to hollow out and with the lack of sunlight, he could tell that he had become paler even with only the dim light to indicate it. He huddles himself again into his much familiar corner before bringing his head between his legs. This had become a common position for Dream, as it made him feel truly ground to the world. He couldn’t see anything around him besides his tattered pants, which helped to make sure none of the shadows slipped through.   
He had gotten better at controlling the vision of the shadows and now they were much less violent. Though they never seemed to calm down entirely, they stopped showing the graphic images of his friend’s death and started depicting his own instead. It was almost as if they were edging him towards it like they wanted him to make the final leap. He almost had a few times, when the shadows were too much to bear or his thoughts just pushed him deeper and deeper into his own mind. Sometimes he just couldn’t take it. The regret, the guilt, the anger, and the sadness were so overwhelming that he wasn’t even if what he was feeling was real. Sometimes his emotions seemed to hit him so hard that he would drop to the floor in shock but seconds later it would disappear as if it was never there, to begin with. Those seemed to be the worst times, he was never sure how long they lasted but they seemed to come in bursts of pain and sorrow than a sweet release of disassociation.

He had become easy to disassociate, at first he would beg Sam to stay and talk to him, he would get down onto his knees and pull on his former friend’s humor as he delivered his food but Dream had slowly begun to ignore his presence as Sam had done to him. He’d curl himself into his corner and turn away as Sam entered, sometimes he didn’t even notice when Sam came and left, only that food appeared. His newfound ability to dissociate terrified him though because internally he knew that he needed to talk to someone else, even if they wouldn’t talk back in return. He needed another human presence otherwise he was quite sure that he would go mad within the walls of his confinements. He could almost feel himself losing a little aspect of it day by day, he could see it in the ways that his friends seemed to appear before him in the forms of memories and shadows. They almost seemed comforting when he stepped closer and closer towards the edge.

His mind had begun to play tricks on him this time, the shadows were nothing new but the almost realistic forms of his friends sitting or running that would appear out of the corner of his eyes were practically too much to bear. He curled himself into his much comforting ball as he once again placed his head between his legs. Before he even had the chance to slip into a daydream or a semi-conscious state due to his lack of sleep, he felt the ground once again move beneath him. He knew that with this being the second time it moved, it signaled that the lava was going to drain and that Sam was going to appear. He waited in his corner to hear the heavy footsteps of Sam to appear but they never did. Instead, he heard the light footsteps of what seemed like a boy. Although he didn’t remove his head from where it was sitting between his legs, he did listen, waiting for a voice to appear along with the footsteps but as they got closer and closer, nothing seemed to change. As they seemingly stopped next to him, still no one spoke up. As Dream sat slumped in his corner, he could feel the presence next to him but why wouldn’t they speak? At this point he knew that it couldn’t be Sam, he never stayed, let alone stood this close to him. His natural curiosity spiked, as this was the first interesting experience he’d had in however many days he’d been stuck within the prison.

Lifting his head slowly, nothing in his wild sleep-deprived dreams could he have imagined he'd see his boy standing in front of him. The boy that he’d caused so much misery and heartbreak. Of course, Dream wasn’t necessarily sorry for what he’d done, not that it was Tommy himself that deserved it but he had been angry at the entire server for how they'd treated him, how they’d ostracized him. Honestly, when Tommy had originally said he was going to visit him, he thought that he’d been joking, that he was just trying to give Dream a false sense of hope. But seeing this boy in his signature red and white shirt, with so much determination in his eyes, it almost made Dream’s heart leap out of his chest because he finally wasn’t alone, he had some who would talk to him. 

Dream sat up, no longer curled in his corner he turned his body so that he was facing Tommy entirely. He could tell that he was still somewhat injured from the last time they’d met, which gave Dream an idea of how long he’d been stuck in here but then again, those scars could have been from anything. 

“Why'd you come here, Tommy?”

His tone was softer than he’d hoped it would have been. How pitiful he must look now sitting on the cold damp floor of a prison he had always meant for Tommy. He was curled up into himself and even as there was a second presence now, the shadows were still grabbing at his ankles though Tommy showed no sign of being able to see them. 

“I said I’d come Dream, didn’t I?”

Tommy sounded playful and he’d asked the question almost jokingly as if he was directly making fun of Dream’s condition.

“You did.”

“Well, come one Dream I thought you’d at least be excited to see me, it was quite the hassle getting in here and all. But now that I’m here I have to say I’m a little disappointed.”

With these words, Tommy began walking around the cell, almost as if he was admiring the obsidian walls. 

“Who’d have thought that you’d fall so far from your pedestal. One second you’re all high and mighty and the next you stuck in a corner, barely even an afterimage of how you used to look!”

Tommy was having fun now. His arms moving in time with his voice, creating a horrifying image in Dream’s mind. Not only had Dream fallen but his position had been directly replaced with Tommy, he had all the power now. He stared over at Dream, his hands still reaching up towards the sky, his face twisting into a sicking smile. 

“What’s wrong, Dream?”

He walked towards Dream.

“Do you not like it here? Do you feel powerless now? You have no idea what’s happening outside now, but I can assure you that everyone would be happy to see you in this horribly pitiful state. Sapnap and George have joined our side now too if you didn’t know. They seem so much happier now than they ever were with you.”

Tommy was getting closer and closer.

“In fact, I bet they would live their lives happily without ever seeing you again. Could you imagine that? Your two closest friends never want to see you again, they are just happy that you’re gone.”

They were face to face now.

“Does that remind you of anyone? Does that ring any bells? It seems a little familiar to me honestly. Hmm… it wasn’t even that long ago, hopefully, you haven’t forgotten already? I’d be so sad to find out that my best friend Dream forgot about what he did to me!”

Dream couldn’t tell what Tommy was thinking. He’d always been able to read him as if he was a book but now all he could see was the amusement behind the boy’s eyes.

Did he find this fun?

Now he understood, Tommy hasn't come for any other reason than to poke fun at Dream’s imprisonment, though it’s not as if the people of his server hadn’t been poking fun at Dream since they joined. He was so easily villainized that he was used to it now. He may be stuck in a prison of his own design but he would never stoop to the same level as the supposed hero of the SMP. Never once did anyone trust his decision like they trusted Tommy’s. Dream had only ever wanted peace on the server but now that it was Tommy who was preaching it, they all seemed to listen. Dream turned away from Tommy in disgust.

“Aww come on Dream! At least give me something! I came all this way for you, and after everything you put me and everyone else on this server through, I think that you should apologize, don’t you think?”

Tommy’s voice quickly switched from amusement into anger as he spoke.

“Don’t you think I deserve that much? Just one little apology, that never seemed to hurt anyone before.”

The tone in Tommy’s voice was pushing Dream far past his breaking point, and if it wasn’t for his exhaustion, he’d have certainly tried to hurt Tommy, at least a little bit.

“An apology…?”

Dream’s voice was quiet yet contemplative.

“Maybe you’ll get your apology once I get mine.”

He had never seen Tommy looked so enraged, even after all of the mental torture Dream had inflicted on him.

“An apology, an APOLOGY!”

“You really think that you deserve an apology, now this is rich especially coming from you. Who’d have thought that the villain of the story would think that HE deserves an apology? Honestly, this is just hilarious.”

Every single word that was coming out of Tommy’s mouth sent Dream’s nerves on fire. He was so angry. So disappointed. So annoyed at the hand fate had dealt him. He almost couldn’t take it anymore, but when he went to speak his words came out calm.

“Really Tommy, really? Are you so stupid? Can you not see how I ended up in this position, in this PRISON! Was I really always the villain? Was there no time when I helped people because I wanted to because I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt? Are you sure that I’m the real villain here? Maybe you should take a look in the mirror Tommy. Everything that you’ve worked towards, that you’ve tried to create has been through the blood of your friends. Wilbur, Tubbo, even me, you’ve practically treated us like stepping stones towards your final goal. What was it again? Freedom? How can you claim that you’re working towards freedom when you lie and cheat and steal your way to the top!” 

Dream was just so tired, so done with everything that had happened. He didn’t care anymore. He just didn’t care. He looked away from Tommy and back towards the wall that he was leaning against. He closed his eyes, wishing that the world could just disappear, that he could disappear. He didn’t want to feel like this. He honestly wished he had never felt at all. The betrayals after long friendships and the inhuman treatment he had received solely because he wanted to keep the world peaceful.

“You can leave now Tommy.”

Dream no longer had the energy to yell, he had never really had the energy, to begin with. All he wanted to do was sleep though he knew that at this point he couldn’t, not when his dreams were as terrifying as the waking world. 

“Oh, but I can’t leave Dream. You don’t want to be alone, do you?”

“Tommy this isn’t an argument, I just- I just can’t take this right now…”

“Ohhh… Dreammm…! Look at me! Come on Dream! Look just one last time! Come on, look at the poor little boy that you MANIPULATED for months on end!”

Dream couldn’t take it anymore. He looked towards Tommy and in his weary state, Tommy’s form seemed to morph along with the shadows that newly danced along the walls. No longer showing the horrid images of his friend's death but instead the months that he had spent with Tommy on the beach. Of course, in Dream’s mind, there had been as many good times as there had been bad but the dim light portrayed only the holes filled with TNT and the nights where Tommy spent the night on the beach alone while Dream watched from the shadows. Tommy on the other hand had begun to pale, his skiing became almost blue-ish in color, similar to how Dream remembered Ghostbur’s looking. But his clothes seemed to burn at the tips like they were fueled by a continual fire. Though the most noticeable difference was instead of the bright azure eyes that he was used to, they seemed to be replaced with burning coals. As if Tommy was burning from the inside out. 

“...Tommy…?”

Dreams’ voice came out small, not in fear, more in the apprehension of what’s to come. He could only look on as Tommy continued to change in his vision, from the once pitiful boy to a towering over the already crouching Dream. It filled him with an unshakable dread.

“... just leave, please.”

Tommy’s body began to contort again, and Dream had to rub his eyes because he was no longer sure whether he had really fallen asleep or if what he was seeing was truly something that was happening.   
When his body finally stopped moving, Tommy appeared as a short man who filled Dream’s heart with a bittersweet sense of longing. The white glasses that sat on top of his head and the soft blue t-shirt reminded Dream of the lonely nights that he had spent in the prison without the embrace of another human being. 

“...George…?

A look of fear swept across Dream’s face and he couldn’t help to reach his arm forward. He was unable to tear his eyes away from his old friend but as the brunette opened his mouth to speak, instead of his recognizable accent and different voice took its place. He knew, of course, who’s voice this was, but he had to rub his eyes in disbelief anyway.   
“What Dream? Aren’t we the people who you’ve wanted to see most?” 

Sapnap’s voice filled the air, making Dream certain that he had fallen asleep during his talk with Tommy but as he attempts to pinch himself awake, he can only look on in skepticism as George continues to stand in front of him. Suddenly he feels a presence to the left of him and looks to see a contorted Sapnap standing with his arm reaching towards Dream’s shoulders. 

“Have you ever thought about what your crazed antics have done to us? We’ve been your friends since day one but recently all we’ve been able to do is watch as you almost intentionally destroy your relationship with everyone this serve. WE were your friends!

This came from George and before Dream had the chance to reply, Sapnap spoke up.

“Come on George, he won’t understand. You should’ve realized when he made an entire underground bunker to keep everything that was important to us! How much could he really care.”

“No no no… I do care. I care so much!”

Dream pushed past the tears that were forming in his eyes. He never had the strength to admit how much he had missed them while alone in his prison. While being escorted to the prison in the first place, Sam had attempted a little small talk, asking if he was going to miss anyone. At the time Dream has still been on his stupid high horse and couldn’t admit to the fact that he wanted to see both George and Sapnap together before he felt like he truly might lose it. But after Dream had admitted to Sam that he wasn’t going to miss anyone, Sam only looked towards him and although he couldn’t see the expression on Sam’s face, he was certain that it was disappointment. That was the last time Sam had talked to him. 

“Ohhhhh do you now? Well since you care so much about us now, maybe we'll disappear on you, just like you did to us! Doesn’t that seem like a good idea George?”

“Certainly Sapnap! I’d love to see what will happen to him as he practically rots away by himself, maybe we should just never come back! That’ll really show him, won’t it!”

Their conversation continued as if Dream wasn’t in the room. He felt sick to his stomach. The exchange of words wasn’t anything that he hadn't already imagined himself but seeing it play in front of his eyes made much more of an impact on his psyche. For this first time in a long time, he brought his hands up the sides of his face and screamed. He screamed until he heard George and Sapnap stop talking.

“Maybe he’s already lost it?”

“Yeah, he’s definitely a lost cause now.” 

He couldn’t take it. The emotions that he had continually felt bubbling up inside of him were quickly becoming much more than he could handle. He saw the edge of his vision go blurry as his mind became thick with fog. He could no longer form a coherent sentence, but another scream rang clear from his mouth. He tried to cling to the small amount of consciousness that remained cogent enough to understand but even that speck of rational thought quickly dissipated. The last thing he could hear before he forcibly fell into a dreamless slumber was the horrific laughing of his former friends as they watched him slowly slip into what could only be described as the beginnings of madness. 

…….

Dream awoke roughly to the sound of the lava wall slowly draining out. He looked up as he saw Sam approaching with one of his daily meals. The fogginess that had been clinging to his mind was beginning to disappear enough to realize that he and Sam were the only ones in his cell. 

What happened to Tommy? Or Sapnap? Or George?

He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and he slowly crawled towards Sam and his food. 

“Sam… Sam can y-you answer a qu-question for me?”

His words came out thick and slurred.

“It’s an easy question please, I promise this will be the only I’ll ask! You never have to talk to me again if that’s what you want! In fact, I’ll never even speak to you so you wouldn’t even have to do anything differently!”

He added quickly. Sam paused for a second, it seemed as if he was mentally weighing the odds, before stopping next to the platform that would return him to the main prison.

“Sure, what is it?”

His words came out sharp but there seemed to be a hint of pity behind them.

“...did Tommy come to visit? Maybe George and Sapnap? Cause I think they left without telling me and I kind of had some more things I wanted to tell them.”

“Dream… no one’s come to visit you...”

That was all he said before he returned to the platform, slowly disappearing into the lava lake and leaving Dream alone once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this really fun to write and I'm glad that a solid amount of people have been able to read it!! Hopefully everyone can continue to enjoy the story!!


	3. The favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outside the prison, Technoblade begins to plan how he will break Dream out, as Dream has decided to cash in his favor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found it really fun to write from some different characters' points of view so hopefully, it actually reads well :) The editing also might be a little off but I generally tried to get everything to sound right though I think the middle part might be a little confusing too, it's just a little bit of what Ranboo's feeling about the situation and how things seem to happen for him. idk if that makes sense lol but hopefully it's at least interesting to read!!

The snow was falling softly and made a satisfying crunch underneath Techno’s boot as he walked. As much as he loved a late-night stroll, the reason for his stroll had the voices in his head riled up. They had been acting up frequently and Techno could only account it to the lack of conflict on the server. Of course, Techno didn’t mind the actionless SMP because that mainly meant that his goals had been completed. The government, L'Manburg, had been destroyed and he was left to his own devices once again. This time he was also quite certain that he didn’t have any secret armies attempting to kill him and he could now live without its inconvenience. 

This was all great until he received a message early one morning. Dream wanted his help escaping. Although Techno was a master at evading people and by association, he was good at escaping but in reality, he was good at evading people during combat so that he could hit them half a second later. He wasn’t sure where Dream had gotten the idea that Techno would be able to do anything in regards to Dreams current imprisonment but he was also certain that Techno was the only person that Dream had left. But even Techno was there only because he owed Dream a favor. 

Either way, Techno was out late walking through the freezing temperatures just to help a crazed maniac escape from a prison he very much deserved to be in because he had given him a map. A map that he probably could have gotten had he tried a little harder. But what was the point of dwelling on something that he didn’t have any ability to change anymore? 

Destruction. Chaos. Freedom.

The voices chanted in Techno’s head. They honestly had the right idea. Those were most of Techno’s core values but there was an interesting difference between when the right time was and right now was not the right time 

“Shut up.”

He muttered under his breath. He was getting closer to L’Manburg and even though he had already drunk an invisibility potion he could never be entirely sure that there was no one walking about. The night was chilly but still quite pleasant so he wouldn’t blame anyone but that would just make his end goal much harder. 

He jumped quietly from stone to dirt as he made his way past the Church of Prime and towards the water until the prison came into view. He had to commend Sam on his build. It was one of the most impressive prisons that he had ever seen and he had seen his fair share of interesting places throughout his travels. From the outside, Techno already felt small compared to the enormous building and he couldn’t help but empathize a bit with Dream who was trapped inside. Sam must have built it like that purposefully to make sure that no matter who had been put inside felt so powerless that they didn’t even attempt a jailbreak.

He could feel the mining fatigue seep into his bones as he was finally close enough to the prison to observe it in its full glory. Although Techno had to applaud Dream on his confidence because had Techno been the one inside, he probably would go mad from the voices before anyone even had the chance to break him out. He knew that Dream heard voices too, not the same one’s Techno did but similar in nature. 

Back before the war had broken out, he and Dream had frequent conversations and even traded tips from time to time on how to deal with them. Dream was one of the only people that were privy to the information of Techno’s voices, besides to Philza and recently Ranboo. What worried Techno the most was how manipulative Dream’s vices were in comparison. While Techno’s craved blood and death, Dream’s focused on power. He was convinced that what had forced Dream into his current state had been the voices slowly pushing their beliefs into Dream’s own thoughts. 

Though this didn’t explain Dream’s actions, he wouldn’t be surprised if the man had been teetering on the edge of insanity for a while now. Techno had been taught at a very young age how to control the voices and how to keep them from infecting his thoughts and Dream had once had this ability as well but the mental strain from being villainized seemed to have too much for Dream. Dream seemed to have slowly lost himself in the voices and Techno had no idea what this would mean for the tyrant's previously peaceful mentality and whether it could ever be restored.   
Though, there had been another thing weighing in the back of Techno’s mind considering Dream’s unstable mentality was how he used his ability to influence minds. Techno knew he couldn’t do this to everyone and that it could only happen under extremely favorable circumstances but the last time they had talked, the man had mentioned he had found a new “puppet” as Dream had said. And with the note that Techno found last night, he was quite confident that he would be meeting that person tonight. 

This puppet seemed to have had a previous connection to Dream which made him easy to control, which was both impressive and deeply concerning because the man shouldn't be in charge of a pet, let alone an entire human being. Though as much as Techno tried to imagine as to who the person might be, he always came up short. Techno wasn’t around many people but he felt like he’d have heard about any suspicious behavior, most likely from Ranboo, though the boy did have some memory problems. 

Hopefully, it wasn’t Ranboo.

This was a thought that crossed Techno’s mind a lot recently. He had no real reason to believe that it might be Ranboo but Techno learned the hard way that it was usually the people closest to you that ended up betraying you. 

Tommy had been a hard lesson to learn. He never thought that the boy he had given a roof to live under, new armor, expertly crafted weapons, food, and a home where he would be protected would throw it right back into his face. 

That hadn’t even been the first time he had been betrayed by the blond boy either so he wasn’t sure why he had been surprised. The only person that he could depend on was Phil but he seemed to leave for long periods, without a word, though they never really needed words to communicate, to begin with. 

Ranboo though was a new variable in his life. He still didn't entirely trust the young hybrid, but the ax had been a nice attempt at breaking the ice and he respected that. Their recent trip had also helped to solidify a bond between the two, and Techno found that he enjoyed traveling him, if only for his ability to fill the silence. What had made him a little weary was the fact that he had noticed Ranboo leaving his little shake at odd hours of the night. 

Techno knew that no one was currently hunting, mostly because he wasn’t a threat to a nation, so that crossed out the idea that Ranboo was giving someone information about him or his location. Dream had been locked up in prison at the time as well, so that eliminated him from the equation as well, though you could never be entirely sure when it came to Dream. What Techno thought was the most likely reality related to the fact that Ranboo was part enderman and just had the urge to be out at night. Techno could relate to that side of him. Being a piglin gave him a fondness for the heat that the Nether provided and continuously found himself heading to the Nether for no other reason than to feel its undying warmth again.  
Techno knew that there were a few other hybrids like him in the SMP, and he had a strong suspicion that Dream was some sort of hybrid himself, though Techno had never been privy to what sort of hybrid he was. He was pretty sure that Dream’s friend Sapnap was a blaze hybrid as he was seen the man basking in the wrath of the Nether on a few of his excursions. The glowing eyes didn't help to hide that fact either.   
Tubbo, Schlatt, and Fundy had been three of the more evident hybrids on the server, most of their features were prominently displayed and seemed hard to hide, similarly to Techno tusks. One of the more interesting hybrids that techno had noticed was Eret. Eret was unmistakably one of the less obvious hybrids, but he gave off the impression of something powerful. Techno couldn’t quite place his finger on who or what he might partially be.  
Ranboo though, Techno had a pretty good idea of what Ranboo was. He knew that one side of him had to be Enderman, that much was obvious, but he was pretty sure that it wasn’t any regular enderman. He had heard about an ancient breed of enderman that had existed far before any of the inhabitants of the current SMP.  
They had sparkling emerald eyes and were the minions of an ancient deity that could no longer be found in the overworld. They seemed to be of such amazing lineage, that they had been bestowed powers that far exceeded any of the other races. Which had only helped Solidifying Techno’s theory when he had seen the young enderman pick up a monster spawner as if it was nothing.

\------------------------------------------------

The voice was loud again. He knew what they were telling him lies but what they said made so much sense. He would never hurt his friends but the voice told him he did and he had no reason to believe that it wasn’t true. He had seen the proof. It had been in his bunker, in his inventory, in his mind. He couldn’t escape the voice no matter where he went. 

The voice used to seemingly rip his mind to pieces, making him unable to coherently form phrases as it relentlessly attacked his mind until he blacked out. At least, he thought that he blacked out. He wasn’t sure whether did or not because he’d always awake in a different location with no explanation of how he’d gotten there. 

It would whisper to him in a sickenly sweet tone that clouded his mind and made his thoughts fuzzy. He knew that he should resist the voice sometimes but as soon as it started talking it seemed to beckon him away with a tempting sense of safety and release. He craved release so often these days, his own mind seemed to always be plaguing him. It told him such terrible lies that it made his stomach lurch with fear and regret but it seemed so far at times, his feelings barely scratched the surface of his consciousness when the voice was talking to him. He wanted to listen to it. He wanted to make sure that he listened only to the voice. At least it seemed like he wanted to? He wasn’t sure what else he would do though, the voice was the only thing that occupied this thought right now. It was all that mattered. When it told him to do things, he would do them. No matter what. The world would fade away into a peaceful darkness, the fear, the guilt, the shame, it didn’t matter what the voice told him what to do.

It was so nice. The mining and the constant burn of his muscle gave him a sense of purpose. He was helping the voice! The voice had been so nice to him too, it had told him some truly horrific truths but the way that the voice had said it made his heart melt. When he felt like he was alone, with no one to turn to, not even Techno and Philza, he knew that he could always count on the voice. It told him to dig, so he was going to dig. 

He did question it from time to time, as something in the back of his mind screamed at him to stop, that what he was doing was helping the enemy, but how could the voice be the enemy, when it made him feel so good, so willing to help. 

The fatigued had set into his body quite early on, he was sure that he hadn’t even started mining when he suddenly felt an intense drowsiness wash over him. The voice assured him that it wasn’t anything that he had to worry about. He was safe and protected by the voice so he knew he had nothing to fear. Though fear had nothing to do with the uneasy feeling that seemed to stick in his gut. The pricking sensation seemed to never leave his side, but he was filled with such blissfulness that even the pricking of his side couldn’t shake him. He never wanted this feeling to end. It made him feel so good. He wanted to do everything the voice asked if he could always feel like his. 

Maybe he would tell Techno about this later. Techno would want to know. He would tell Tech-.... Te…. Who was he going to tell again? Te... T-Te… The name was on the tip of his tongue. It was an important person, he was sure of it. They had to be important, right? The fogginess in his brain seemed to increase the more he thought about this mysterious person. Why had he thought of them in the first place though? The voice was much more important. The voice filled him with more pleasantness, the warmth spreading from his brain down to his hands and finally stopping at his feet. Why would he ever need to think of another person, when he had the voice.   
It was probably his memory again, He had always had problems with his memories. So the person that he was forgetting probably was just the voice, to begin with, who else would we even need to tell.

He was being lulled further and further in this warm and comforting feeling that was developing in his head. He was so overtaken by it, that he didn’t even notice as his vision darkened and blurred around the edges and until he was quietly swept into unconsciousness. 

He woke near his old home. The one that had been blown up by Dream and Techno. Not that he blamed Techno though, he understood Techno’s reasons far more than he understood Dream’s. The voice was noticeably gone, though so were the memories that helped him to understand why he was lying near a crater, in the dark, covered in dirt. He wouldn’t call what he was covered in dirt, maybe ash or soot would be a better description. He found the texture to be somewhat similar to that of obsidian and the color seemed to match up too. Maybe he had slept and walked into the Nether again? 

It wouldn’t have been the first time but at least he knew what he was safe in the Nether because mobs never seemed to attack him. But the temperature was a little warm for his tastes. The overworld on the other hand was a completely different story because things here definitely seemed to want to hurt him. Not necessarily the mobs but the people too and with his ever decreasing memory, he could barely remember who he was supposed to trust anymore.

Phil and Techno were always safe, if not for his memory, he could tell that he would be okay because that’s where he built his house. Though, his memory book also told him that he would be safe with them. On the other hand, he was pretty sure that he could trust Tubbo too. He wasn’t sure entirely how he felt about Fundy or Tommy and Quackity. He was pretty sure that Fundy wanted to experiment on him, at least that’s what his book told him and he didn’t think that that would be great.

\----------------------------------------------

Dream wasn’t alone. He wasn’t alone. He had a new friend. 

Dream had been certain that the SMP whispered its secrets to Sam, as the man seemed to know everything. Though as the warden, it made sense to keep tabs on the different inhabitants of the SMP. The man seemed to have some sort of protection against being influenced because no matter what he tried to convince the creeper hybrid of, he always seemed to be one step ahead of Dream. And since he was always one step ahead, Dream had been certain that he knew of his abilities. But as he attempted to push his consciousness outside the prison, he was happy to find that nothing was stopping him. 

This didn’t bother Dream. After nights and nights of horrid whispers and terrifying images, his mind seemed to have pushed past the point breaking and into the welcoming hands of insanity. He hadn’t realized it, how would he have? Alone in a prison, with no one else to talk to but yourself, however, it changed when you seemed to talk back. The shadows showed him new images of what he could accomplish, filling him with a false sense of security as it tore at his diminishing mentality.   
Nonetheless, it had helped him find a new puppet. Tommy had been fun to play with but he would never give in fully. His own brash personality was too much to tame even with the help of Dream’s manipulation. 

Ranboo on the other hand seemed to be missing a voice in his head and Dream was all too happy to take the space for himself. He had barely felt any blockade as he forced his way into the boy’s head. Although at first, his mind almost couldn't handle the presence of Dream as the days wore on, he slowly warped the thoughts, memories, and even the world around the Enderman until it fit Dream’s will perfectly. He made sure that whatever information that Ranboo had was made to correspond with what Dream wanted him to think. Though he couldn’t make his control too obvious. The boy was aware of the voice and desperately wanted it out of his head, so Dream had to give the boy at least a little bit of hope. He had to make it seem like he had rid himself of the voice but as soon as he overwhelmed himself Dream would take control of his actions. 

This side of him seems so eager to listen to what he can say. Waiting on his word, no matter how difficult that task may seem. Once he had given himself over to Dream, he seemed so much happier. Dream told him sweet nothings that seemed to fill the inside of the boy’s head with a warm and comfortable feeling of trust and companionship. Dream had never had a formal conversation with the enderman, so he couldn’t judge him entirely off of his internal thoughts but Dream was quite certain that his thoughts were quite different from how he presented himself. Not that Dream minded someone who was good at hiding things. If he could ever formally convince Ranboo to join his side, he would turn out to be an incredibly valuable asset.

That was if we could ever escape this god-forsaken prison. For a while now he was wondering if Techno had ever actually received the message that he had tasked his new friend with giving to him. Of course, he couldn’t let his little friend reveal themselves at the time, because he feared that he might be taken away, so he told them to plant a message somewhere Techno would see it. The boy lived close to Techno so he wasn’t surprised when this task had been completed quickly and efficiently. And when he managed to take control after Ranboo had fallen asleep, Dream felt proud, admiring his plan beginning to work.

The enderman was tall and lanky but he had a profound ability to be stealthy in a manner that Dream hadn’t expected. Though it helped when tracking Techno through the snowy winter biome. It was such a different world through another person’s eyes. Dream had never taken the time to admire the environment around him but as he looked around with Ranboo’s vision, he saw an entirely new landscape, that was similar yet different to the one that he was used to.   
He couldn’t let himself get sidetracked. Maybe this was the Enderman aspect of Ranboo brain that was acting up, still, Dream couldn’t help but wish he saw the world as the boy did. 

It wasn’t much longer until Techno reached the portal and disappeared from Ranboo's view. He waited a few minutes before following the piglin through the portal. Techno had already left towards the main portal and Dream made ranboo pick up the pass as he saw techno enter the final portal. 

Suddenly they were in L’Manburg, well at least what was left of L’Manburg. Dream watched as Techno drank a potion of invisibility before traveling towards the prime path and finally heading for the water and then the prison. 

By the time Ranboo managed to catch up with Techno, the man seemed to be deep in thought. Although Dream wasn’t sure what he was thinking about, he was quite certain that it was related to the “puppet” that Techno would be meeting tonight. Deciding to savor the moment as his plans began to fall into place, he stood in the shadows and was pleased to notice that these shadows did not attempt to grab at him. They also did not seem like they would show him anything he didn’t want to see either. 

Ultimately he stepped out of the shadows. Techno was still unaware of his presence as he approached him, but turned around as soon as he was within a few feet. The Piglin's face dropped as he saw the Enderman arrive, bringing a sense of accomplishment to Dream, who almost let a giggle escape his mouth as he came face to face with Techno. 

“What? You didn’t expect to see me here?”

Dream finally spoke, though the voice came out as Ranboo’s Techno seemed to understand what was happening.

“Yes. I have to say I’m a little surprised.”

Disappointment laced his voice as he turned to face Ranboo entirely.

“But, I’ll listen to whatever plan you’ve got in mind.”


	4. Ranboo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno continues talking to Ranboo(Dream) about their plan, Dream comes up with an interesting idea. Ranboo tells Techno about the voice in his head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly this was pretty hard to write cuz I haven't come up with much super long term but I think that'll get everything planned out more so hope u all enjoy!! :)

“One question” 

Techno said carefully.

“Of course, What is it?”

It took Techno a second to gather his voice because he was quite honestly at a loss for words. Techno knew that Ranboo would never help Dream out willingly. He was also aware of Dream's abilities but what surprised him the most was that it was Ranboo. Sapnap, George, maybe even Karl because Dream had a previous connection with the group of boys but from what Techno had gathered, Dream had never actually talked with the enderman. 

“Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised but why Ranboo? Surely one of your friends would have been more willing to help you out?”

“Hmm… I understand where you’re coming from! Naturally, I wanted someone who would be inclined to listen no matter what, and sadly I've had a falling out recently with a few of my friends. You’re really the only one I could call on and know you’d be compelled to listen.”

When Dream spoke he had somewhat of an unhinged manner, giving his voice a playfully out-of-character edge that could be seen in his actions as well. The usually sweet and somewhat naive enderman, who always seems happy to help Techno with any of his projects, now had a glint of what Techno had observed as madness in his eyes. He hoped it wasn't something that Techno had missed when previously looking at the hybrid boy. 

“Don’t worry! The boy’s totally fine! In fact, I don’t think he’s ever been better! Hasn’t he seemed less stressed lately, calmer, happier even. You’ve noticed, haven’t you?”

Techno was taken aback by this comment. Needless to say, he had noticed how relaxed Ranboo had been recently, which had surprised him when he had learned about his nightly escapades but who was Techno to judge. Maybe he should've realized it sooner. 

The enderman seems to have had a weight lifted off of his shoulders, but did in fact seem to hold a little bit of ingenuous tension and anxiety. Techno assumed that it was related to the fact that Phil had offered to take Ranboo in or at least invite him to leave near himself and Techno. Techno knew that the boy had been suffering from some intense guilt, especially after the loss of L’Manburg, though Techno hoped Ranboo knew that it wasn’t his fault.   
However, now that Techno thought about, why had Ranboo felt so guilty? He was rather new to the SMP in general and although he had been part of the makeshift army, Techno never actually saw Ranboo do anything against another member of the SMP. Especially when Dream was involved.

Before the final battle had taken place, just after the community house had been taken care of, Ranboo had been a huge advocate for fighting against Dream though he wanted there to be no sides. Which was something that not everyone was willing to do at the time. 

Had Ranboo even participated in the fight when L’Manburg was blown up? Techno couldn’t remember seeing the boy there. Though he had been a bit preoccupied at the time, the enderman was pretty hard to miss. Maybe that’s why he felt guilty? Because he didn’t participate in the battle. Ranboo had been advocating peace for a long time so Techno highly doubted that it had anything to do with that. 

Perhaps it was related to the possibility that Ranboo knew that he was helping Dream out. Techno could understand why he’d have felt guilty, working with Dream directly went against everything that his friends had been working towards. And because it was evident that Ranboo couldn’t get Dream out of his head, he really sympathized with the poor boy. 

On the other hand, though, there’s no way that what the enderman was feeling was anything near actual internal peace. Techno knew that Dream should be able to impact the boy’s feelings in general but long exposure to this ability can’t be good for his mental state. 

“Well I understand your reasoning, I can’t say that I approve of your methods. You realize that he’s entirely innocent, and you’ve just dragged him into what might be one of the most dangerous situations that he could possibly be. You understand these implications right?”

Techno took a step back. He was still recovering from Tommy’s betrayal but he still felt a strong sense of brotherly love for the blond boy that had gone through months of mental torture because of this man.

“So… let me get you straight, and excuse my bluntness, but you managed to drive all of your friends away and now all you have to rely on is me because I owe you a favor, and a LITERAL child that you’re that you’ve probably already drove to the brink of insanity.”

From the facial reaction that Ranboo made, Techno could tell that he had struck a nerve. And honestly, that’s pretty much what Techno wanted to do. Well, what he really wanted to do was hit the man a few times, but he knew that it would be Ranboo feeling the pain and that wasn’t a risk he wanted to take.

The voices on the other hand just thought that it would be funny to see the Piglin hit the rather tall enderman, and Techno could hear as they were betting against whether he’d actually be able to reach the enderman’s face or not. 

“I don’t want to hear it.”

That was all that came out of Ranboo’s mouth. 

“I have a plan and YOU will listen to what I have to say. You. Owe. Me.”

The tone was strong and straight forward but Techno didn’t flinch as he heard it, something he assumed many other people would have. 

“Fine.”

Was all he had to say.

“It’s not a hard one so don’t give me that face. All I need you to do is convince Ranboo to visit the prison. My original plan was to get you to spend your time digging through the obsidian walls so you really should be thanking me.”

Ranboo brought his face down towards Techno. 

“After that, you can pretend as if this never happened. Though I can’t say I'll leave your name out of this if I get caught. Maybe you can convince me to leave the boys out!”

Techno hadn’t wanted to hit a man in his life more than he wanted to hit Dream. And the fact that it was Ranbbo standing in front of him only seemed to fuel his anger even more. 

“I mean, it’s not like you’ve never used a child to achieve your own goals. “It’s nothing personal, kid.” Does that ring any bells, it should.”

Techno just frowned in return. 

“Well… as pleasant as this conversation has been, I’m feeling a bit tired now. Have fun explaining to Ranboo why he’s gonna wake up in front of the prison in the middle of the night.”

With that Dream’s presence seemed to vanish from the area. Ranboo slumped to the ground and Techno was worried when the teen didn’t seem to open his eyes but was reassured when he saw his chest rising slowly up and down. 

Techno sat down next to him, and in the cold evening air, the piglin gently closed his eyes as he felt himself fall asleep.

\------------------------------------------------

The next thing Ranboo knew he was laying on a cold surface on his back. His mind was groggy but as he searched his head for memories, he couldn’t seem to find any that explained why he would be laying on what he assumed was the ground. 

Before opening his eyes, he felt around next to him and was surprised when he found that there was something soft on the damp earth next to him. He gently gave it a tug. Something heavy seemed to be on the other side of the velvety fabric, seemingly making a grunting noise as Ranboo tugged harder. He decided that it would be in his best interest to open his eyes.

Although he's definitely been quite shocked in his life, waking up next to the prison with Technoblade at his side would definitely take up a top spot. 

He immediately tried to think of any reason that this might have occurred.

What had he done last night?

He’d taken a walk, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. He vaguely remembered the cold snow biome’s wind as it nipped at his nose and cheeks. He was also pretty confident that he had felt the sweltering heat of the nether at some point as well. He couldn’t place the different times that these feelings might have occurred but they had differently happened at one point of another. 

He heard another grunt next to him and as he looked over and saw Technoblade waking up completely 

“Oh, you're up?”

How could he sound no nonchalant? Ranboo was freaking out internally. Not only had he just started getting to know the Piglin, but he had also only talked to him one on one once and he was pretty sure that this was pushing the boundaries of how comfortable he was with the man. 

“Umm…?”

The internal panic was really still too much for the already mentally strained Ranboo, as he could honestly not think of a good reply and left it at that, hoping that Techno would continue the conversation. Sadly Ranboo was mistaken, watching as Techno got up wordlessly from where he was laying and started back towards the area where the communal nether portal was located. 

“What? You’re gonna stay here.”

With those words, Ranboo was on his feet and standing only a little ways back from Techno. 

When he had first woken up he didn’t notice the slight throbbing behind his eyes but now that he was standing, an increasingly painful headache seemed to be building up behind his forehead. Ranboo groaned and although he meant it to be silent, he noticed that Techno turned around, one eyebrow raised in Ranboo’s direction. 

“You good?”

“Oh yeah, don’t worry about me. I’ve just been waking up with a slight headache these past few days. It’s no problem really.”

If Techno was concerned it didn’t show on his face as he turned back around, though his pace was visibly slowed as if to let Ranboo catch up. 

Ranboo was fond of this side of Techno and for some reason, it supplied a lot of nostalgia. Maybe it was how his father had acted or maybe a brother, Ranboo had forgotten these memories long ago but it’s possible that they had somehow imprinted themselves into Ranboo’s mind. 

It was also comforting because he had originally been terrified of the merciless piglin, and after only hearing stories of the man, Ranboo had grown accustomed to assuming the worst of him. His surprise when Phil had finally introduced the two of them could only be described as shock because up until that moment he fully expected to be kicked back to L’Manburg but was pleasantly surprised by the Piglin’s surprisingly stoic nature. 

It might have also helped that he had made and enchanted a new axe for Techno but Ranboo liked to think that he had been kept around for reasons besides impressive enchanting abilities. Not that he minded being useful though. He was aware of how painfully useless he had been back when he was with the Butcher's army, the only real reason he had signed up, to begin with, was because of Tubbo. Beyond the fact that he was helping out a friend, he completely regretted the experience. He hated the idea of hurting another person but he had honestly been convinced of the truth that Techno was nothing more than psychopathic with a tendency to destroy governments. This led his whole train of thought back towards the fact that he honestly enjoyed the side of Techno that he had been shown so far. And he hoped that he could continue to see this side of him.

If he didn’t have such a blinding headache he would have probably tried to start a conversation. Although socializing wasn’t his strong suit, he was perfectly pleasant when it came to people that he was comfortable with, and there was so much he wanted to know about Techno.   
Some of the stories that he’d heard had to be true, though Ranboo knew that most of it was likely propaganda but that just drew him in more, but he’d love to decipher the difference between myth and fact. Especially when it came to the incredibly horrific stories that he had heard whispered between citizens of L’Manburg.

The stories of bloodshed and battle from before his time on the server seemed to be made of legend and helped to secure his standing as the blood god. No one on his server stood a chance against Techno, except maybe Dream though was quite certain that even Dream would be able to hold his own for long.

Ranboo knew that he would never be a match, but he sort of wanted to learn a couple of the basics from Techno. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to ask him? They didn’t have much going on anymore with Dream in the prison and all, plus Techno was in retirement so it’s not like he had anything better happening. Yet as Ranboo stood silently next to Techno, he couldn’t bring himself to speak. 

The Pigling had an oppressive aura, something that made people cower in fear but Ranboo knew it wasn’t directed at him, so that couldn’t have been what was bothering him. It almost felt as if there was a physical block between the words that Ranboo held in his mouth and the outside world. Has he always had this problem? He knew that he wasn't especially fearless, in fact, he was probably the opposite, but nine times out of ten he was able to speak his mind when the situation called for it. So what was different this time?   
\  
Thankfully before Ranboo delved too deep into his situation, Techno spoke up.

“So… do you happen to remember how you ended up there?”

The question came off as if Techno was concerned and it warmed Ranboo’s heart a little.

“Umm no, not particularly. This happens from time to time though so I wouldn’t be too worried. It probably just had something to do with my enderman half. It’s been a little all over the place recently, and It might’ve you know, caused the whole blacking out thing every once in a while.”

Uneasiness flowered on Techno’s face but he didn’t say anything.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. My bad, it’s really nothing so just forget I said anything. 

“No, no, I’m sorry. I hope that you didn’t get the wrong idea. It’s just a tad bit concerning. Has there been happening since you were a child or is this a new development?”

The question came off innocently enough to cause the anxiety in Ranboo’s mind to dissipate. 

“No, not really. It started maybe a little bit before L’Manburg was blown up. But there have been some you know other underlying factors that may be triggering them.”

This piqued Techno’s interest.

“Oh?”

“So.. ahh… I think that Philza might’ve mentioned it awhile back… or maybe I just misheard or whatever but… you hear voices, don’t you?”

Ranboo said it as a question but in his mind he knew that he was right. In fact, he had thought about this whole situation a lot. Replaying different scenarios in his head and all of their different outcomes. However, most of the outcomes were not thoughts that he likes to dwell on.

“I do.”

“Well, I might hear them too. Well not them, more like one specifically. Not a very nice voice either, in fact, it’s told me some pretty awful things.”

“Hmm… that does sound a bit familiar. Though, you said one specifically?”

“Oh… yeah. Umm… hopefully, this won’t change anything but I’m pretty sure it might be Dream’s voice or something. At least it sounds really similar, not that I heard his voice until recently though.”

“Oh, that is quite interesting… needless to say, I can’t judge you for the voices in your head because I have some of my own but I hope you won’t let them control you like I once let mine.”

With that small bit of information, Techno stepped through the portal and disappeared into the nether. Ranboo wasn’t quite sure what to do with that information, nevertheless, he was thrilled that Techno had accepted him the way he was, no judgment, no sympathy, just trust in Ranboo and his actions. He might not yet be able to control the voice in his head but Techno had given him a little hope for the days to come, which was something he hadn’t had in a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also ranboo stream today was literally so amazing, you could really tell how shocked he was and everything but still so enthusiastic and thankful and it totally made my day watching it all happen!! honestly so proud of how much he has grown recently!!


End file.
